Here is the third book, and the first chapter of it. Expect something of an introduction and a setting out of the scene, with natural foreshadowing of what is to come, of course.
Without giving anything away, a lot of people have asked about Active Skills, Jaune forging weapons, and such… all I can say is, soon. Don't worry. I haven't forgotten things like that. I'm just waiting for the right moments. Give it three or four chapters.
For those who have asked, yes, each book has its own title and name – but I shan't give it here, simply because it might act as a spoiler for what's going to happen in this book. I'll reveal it later, when it isn't a spoiler.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Book 3: Chapter 1
The mace swung in towards my head.
Stepping to the left, I caught it on the hilt of my sword, pushing it up and to the side. It slammed down into the ground, creating a cloud of dust and leaving my opponent open. My shoulder rammed into their breastplate, pushing them further off balance. One step back created the space necessary for the sword I'd already brought around in a wide arc. It impacted hard, causing sparks against metal and sending the man down on one knee.
Red flashed before my eyes. Instead of an empty arena and a single opponent, I saw heavy fog and a rocking wooden floor. The Berserker looked up at me, murder in her eyes. All around us, combat raged.
A roar escaped me.
Crocea Mors swept up into the air and came crashing down – to puncture through her shoulder once more and carve the life from her. A roar escaped my lips, torn from me as I threw everything behind the blow.
My sword stopped in mid-air. It glowed a dull purple.
"The battle is over," Miss Goodwitch said. She strode forward, flicking one hand in my direction and causing my own sword to fly back into me. It was enough to knock me back, and also knock me out of my memories. "Mr Arc, while your skills have certainly improved, I would take the time to remind you that when your opponent is defeated, the battle is over." Her green eyes narrowed. "Do not make me tell you this again."
Cardin glared at me with hatred in his eyes. It was worse than before, what I'd learned was some kind of Class-based dislike, him being a Warrior and a Knight, at least in his eyes, being a cowardly Warrior spin-off which traded combat ability for Charisma. Apparently, it wasn't common for certain Classes to dislike one another, almost like a rivalry.
I had a feeling my knocking him around like this hadn't done much to bridge the gap between us. It probably didn't help that I'd had so little trouble with him, either. In truth, it wasn't that he was weak or I was strong. I had no idea of his Level, but sixteen had been the average for Beacon, and he was above average in the rankings. He might have been twenty or so… maybe a little higher.
He just hadn't fought in life or death situations like I had… at least not against other people. The Berserker first, and then Glenn Vuori… I'd been forced to learn how different a human opponent was to a Grimm. Cardin wasn't there yet.
I realised Miss Goodwitch was still watching me, a forceful look in her eye. I winced and bowed my head, first to her and then to Cardin. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, Cardin. I lost control of myself."
"Yeah," he grunted. "Sure."
Goodwitch fixed me with a measuring gaze, but seemed content with the sincerity I showed. She turned back to my opponent. "And Mr Winchester. People change and adapt once shown the same trick enough times. You cannot assume what will work on them once will work again. Try to be a little less direct with your attacks."
The Warrior spat on the floor but didn't argue. It was hard to do so when one of the Warlock's curses was running through your body, pinning you down. I'd experienced it before, of course. Not since we'd come back from our Quest several weeks ago, but long before that.
Ever since we'd returned, things had changed. People didn't treat us in any noticeably different way, although I'd overheard a few students talk about some first-years who had already taken our Annual Quest. Some no doubt knew it was us, but most didn't. What had changed was actually ourselves, our Levels and our relative ranking within the student body. Gone were the days when I was the weakest. I wasn't the strongest, of course, that title belonging to Pyrrha and Blake, who had never lost a match yet. I wasn't even in the top ten, and it wasn't like our Guild dominated, either. Nowadays, I came in at around the top half of the class, which was a damn sight better than I'd expected.
I was a Blacksmith playing at being a Hero, after all. It was a miracle that I could stand a chance against them at all.
Pyrrha greeted me with a smile as I strode down off the arena, nodding to Yang as she was called up to face off against someone. Yang bumped shoulders with me en route, flashing her own grin. We were all of us closer. It was only natural, I supposed. We'd suffered, fought and almost died together. That kind of thing created bonds.
"Jauney, that was so cool!" Nora cheered, crossing the distance between us in a second and latching her arms around my neck in what might have been called a hug if her Strength was about twenty or so lower. As it was, I began to feel faint as my oxygen cut out.
"Give him some space, Nora," Ren said, prying her arms away with a soft chuckle. "He's just finished his fight, after all. I don't think he needs you to injure him now."
"Our Knight is more resilient than that," she said. She did let go, however, which gave me chance to gasp for breath. "I thought you were going to chop his head off at the end there. You looked really angry!"
"I got lost in the fight," I said. "You know how it is."
"Oh yeah, I get lost all the time." That Nora could agree so easily didn't exactly fill me with confidence. She was a Barbarian, after all. Battle madness probably came with the Class.
I, on the other hand, was supposed to be a little more in control… and that counted whether it was my actual Class of Blacksmith, or the false one that floated above my head; the one that read Knight. Idly, I fingered the amulet beneath my vest and breastplate. It was still working, of course. Nowadays, I never took it off. There wasn't a chance to when we all shared a Guild Hall and slept in the same room.
"Did you think of Atlas again?" Pyrrha asked. There was a note of concern in her voice. I glanced away, knowing she'd see through the lie. "Jaune, there's nothing wrong with that. I've had a few uneasy nights myself. We all have. Is there any way I can help?"
"It's fine, Pyrrha." This wasn't something that could be fixed so easily. "Maybe I just need a few spars before I calm down. I still keep thinking every battle is to the last."
"You're not the only one," Ren said, wincing as Yang's opponent cried out in pain.
"Miss Xiao-Long!" Goodwitch screeched.
"Whoops. Sorry!"
It wasn't funny, the groans of the victim that was, but I couldn't help but feel amused nonetheless. Even as Ruby sighed and covered her face with one hand, and Weiss muttered about blonde idiots with no self-control, likely meaning me as much as Yang. It was funny, somehow.
"It sure is hard getting used to Beacon again," Pyrrha sighed.
"It is," I said. "But it's fun at the same time, right? No life or death, no disasters, no drama…"
Pyrrha smiled. "Yeah, there is that."
Things were different… but in a good way.
/-/
The Guild Hall, or the Lodge as we'd taken to calling it, was bustling with activity when we came back from the day's lessons. Velvet stood outside talking to a grizzled man with the tag of Carpenter above his head. She looked unusually animated, pointing here and there with a firm expression, while the man, easily twice her age, nodded his head and gave in. We walked up just as the man left.
"Hey Vel," Yang said, using her nickname for the bunny-eared Tailor. "More problems?"
"Not this time," Velvet replied. "Just some confusion on what to start on first. The roof and support beams are done, but they weren't sure what rooms to do next." She shrugged. "I said you'd probably want the larger bedrooms to be done."
"As good a plan as any," Weiss said. She pushed the doors to the Lodge open. They were freshly made and solid, a dark brown with some lighter scrolling where the wood had been carved away. They swung open, to reveal a hallway with several people inside, some working on the walls, while others tinkered about the staircase towards the back.
The Lodge was slowly coming together, courtesy of the money we'd gained and the payments made to TRE. We'd only given a thousand at first, just to test the waters, but when their blackmailer proved true with the repairs, we'd slowly given over the rest – saving just a little for ourselves. That had been weeks ago now, but the repairs were still ongoing.
I watched as a Carpenter ran his hands over the wall, causing the wooden planks to mould seamlessly together via the use of some kind of Active Skill. Someone followed behind, painting it a rich green to match the original colouring, faded as it was. From within the kitchen area, I could hear loud banging and clanging, as someone no doubt got to work on the copper pipes there. Ren would be pleased to have that all working properly again.
"Looks like everyone's hard at work," Weiss said. She surveyed the Labour Caste members and nodded. "They're expensive, and I'm sure Torchwick is ripping us off, but at least they're doing the work."
"Probably because they're just normal people." I said. "You need to remember that while he's charging us extra for their services, it's him that's pocketing the spare money, not these guys." Honestly, they were probably being paid bottom lien for this. In a place like Ansel, you only had a few people who could do a given task, which led to mostly fair prices or – more commonly – an exchange of favours and good will. In a major city, however, competition would kick in, driving prices down as tradesmen fought for work.
I'd have loved to tip them, but we just didn't have the money for it.
"The living room has been finished by the way," Velvet said, drawing us to it. "You should come see it."
My eyes lit up. It was the room we'd spent the most time in, and so the obvious one to have people focus on first. It was as slow a task as anything else, and the changes happened piecemeal, a repaired window here, some work on the walls there… even so, it was exciting to see the culmination of our efforts. Velvet led us to it and pushed the door open.
It didn't disappoint.
Gone were Ren's hastily made wooden slats over the windows. Now they had been replaced with thick glass, transparent and clear the bottom, but with stained glass motifs at the top showing various sunset scenes. They caused colour to splash across the room, as beams of light shone through the blue curtains Velvet weaved.
The floor, which had once been a shaggy rug over stone, was now three separate ones, arrayed beneath new couches a dark red in colour. Burgundy, really, or maybe wine, they looked incredibly comfortable nonetheless, and Velvet's cushions were arrayed across them. The walls too had been fixed, dark wood panelling freshly cleaned and polished, giving the room a dark tone that complimented the huge windows and cream rugs perfectly.
Someone, most likely Velvet, had even seen fit to pick some bright flowers and arrange them in various vases about the room, along with on the low table between the three couches. In the back, a healthy fire roared in a hearth surrounded by light stone. Next to it, hung up on the wall, were the fur cloaks we'd been given by the grateful citizens of the faunus village we'd helped. They were trophies now, though we'd probably bring them back down to use once winter hit. For now, they helped break up the scenery, while also giving it a personal touch that spoke of what we'd accomplished together as a Guild.
"It's incredible," I whispered.
Ruby was less contained. "It's perfect!" she cried. "Oh my God, it looks so good." She laughed and ran up to Velvet, taking her hands and spinning her around. "I can't believe it. It's so warm, and those couches…"
"Dibs!" Yang yelled, diving onto one. She landed on her back and bounced into the air with a whoop. "Oh hells yes. They feel as good as they look."
"I'll admit, I'm impressed," Pyrrha said. The Champion walked slowly into the room and turned around, taking it in. "I didn't think it would clean up so nicely."
"Me neither," Ren added. "It makes you wonder what the Lodge will look like when it's complete."
The thought sent a shiver through me. It was just furniture and repairs… it shouldn't have been impressive. Back home, I didn't care about keeping my room clean and was actually a bit of a slob. I shouldn't have cared whether this room was fixed or not.
But I did…
It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling that rose deep inside me. It made my skin tingle, my heart beat a little faster, and a smile break out. I felt proud. Proud like I did whenever I gripped Crocea Mors, my most prized creation. This wasn't just any room, nor was it something I could stand to leave in a state of disrepair. This was our house. Our Guild Hall. We'd earned it, even if it came in bad condition. We'd earned it, and these repairs – what it was now – had been paid for in sweat and blood.
So no… it wasn't just material objects, nor were they a waste of hard-earned lien. In a way, it felt like the Lodge represented us. I wanted it to sparkle, to be complete once more and to hold its head up high. Seeing the first signs of that felt incredible.
A cushion hit my face. "Stop grinning like a loon and try this out," Yang yelled, smacking the space between her and Ruby with one hand.
I laughed and did so, smiling as Ruby shuffled to make room for me. True to Yang's words, it was wonderfully soft. The seat gave way beneath me, moulding and sinking as I settled down, but the support soon kicked in and I was able to lean back and let out a long sigh. It felt divine. It even had that `new` smell to it… of freshness, pine wood and sanding oil. We'd soon replace that with our own scent, whatever that was. We'd spill gravy on it, track mud in and probably bleed on it a few times too.
That was fine. For now, I'd take the chance to enjoy it as it was.
"You realise we'll have to start doing the Quests soon." Weiss interrupted my relaxation. "We said we were going to take a week or two to rest, but it's been more than that. We've already had to pay a month's rent since then."
"True," Ren said. "We've been putting it off for a while now. If we want the repairs to continue at this pace, we need to earn more money."
I didn't like the sound of that. They were right that I'd been putting it off, but it wasn't like anyone could blame me. The Quest to Atlas had been a disaster, and that was with all of us together. Ren and Weiss wanted us to split up for solo or duo Quests. I wasn't sure I'd be strong enough for that. Still… if we didn't, then we wouldn't have the rent necessary to pay at the end of the month, and everything we'd done so far would have been for nothing. I sighed and opened my eyes. "You're right," I said. "We can't afford to keep running away from it."
"I'm glad to see you agree." Ren looked towards our resident Mage. "If you have time tomorrow, Weiss, would you help me gather information on the available Quests?"
Weiss nodded. "Of course. If they're handled anything like they are in Atlas, we'll have a lot to carry back."
"You've done this kind of thing before?" Ruby asked.
"I've not been on a Quest before our own, no. I do know about Quests, however. My sister used to go on many of them when I was younger. She didn't take me along, obviously, but I was there while she chose which ones to do." Weiss waved one hand. "I can't say Vale's system will be similar, but if it is, then there will be scrolls available for each Quest. We can take them as we wish and consider the request, but we'd need to bring back the scroll and sign ourselves as taking it with the Questing House."
"Or Beacon, in this case," Ren said with a nod to me. I'd told them of Ozpin's explanation about how Beacon counted as a Questing House. "I don't imagine it will be too different from Atlas. The procedure makes sense, and Beacon wouldn't want people to clash while taking the same Quest."
"We shall see. Either way, the two of us can check tomorrow and carry however many scrolls we find back here." Weiss tapped a hand on the table before us. "We can then go through them and decide which are simple and which we want to complete. I suppose it can be the responsibility of whomever takes the Quest to inform Beacon of it and bring the scroll back."
"I can convert a cabinet to store the others," Velvet offered. "Scrolls are light, so I can weave some netting to act as racks. It should keep the room a little cleaner."
"A good idea," Weiss said. "Ren and I can arrange them in terms of difficulty. We can have our own sorting system."
"That ought to make things easier," Ren agreed. "Good organisation will save us effort."
Ruby and I shared a look and a roll of the eyes. Ren and Weiss were great, there was no argument, but sometimes it felt like the two walked on a different plane of existence. Poor Nora. She looked like she'd half fallen asleep, head lolled back and a string of drool dangling from her mouth. Weiss, I could understand… she looked like the kind of person who liked her systems.
Ren? Well, maybe it was part of being a Monk. Those were all about balance, as best I could recall. Hmm… was that why Ren and Nora were such good friends? In a strange way, it made sense that Nora's boisterous attitude worked to balance Ren's relative peace and quiet.
What a bizarre concept.
"I think we should avoid solo Quests for now," Pyrrha said. "Even if they sound simple, I really think we should only go in sets of two or three."
Relief filled me, mostly to have had someone else bring that up instead of me. I was quick to nod along. "I agree with Pyrrha. I think we should make that a Guild rule. The Quest to Atlas showed us that you never know what's going to happen. I don't want to imagine anyone here being stuck with something like that."
"We have our stones, though," Yang said. She hefted the communication stone Ironwood had given her from her pocket. We all had one, and they'd proven incredibly useful, if a little indulgent. They hadn't exactly saved our lives, but they were convenient.
"They have a range, though." I said. We hadn't come across that yet, since we'd only left Beacon to farm Grimm in the Emerald Forest. "I don't want to risk it. If one of us gets in trouble and is out of range, or if help can't arrive in time, then we'll be in real trouble."
"I agree with Jaune," Ruby said, earning a quick nod of thanks from me. "I know you're strong, Yang, but this is just us being careful."
"Alright, alright." Yang laughed. "I can't argue with you, Rubes."
"We'll filter solo Quests out," Ren promised.
"There's no hard-set rule on numbers," Weiss added, "We can take however many people we wish on a Quest. The Annual Quest counts it, but only because that's meant to be an assessment of our skill. Still, some of these tasks will be so low in reward it won't be worth doing in a group. We'll cut those out."
Decision made and a promise extracted from everyone, the conversation quickly turned to simpler things. Lessons were already over for the day and the weekend approached, which would be a good time for us to pick our Quests out. I took the chance to slip off the seat and out into the hallway, whispering an apology to a Builder I bumped into.
He nodded and mumbled an apology too, keeping his head low and averting his eyes. I sighed and watched him go, feeling a little upset at his deference, and the clear fear he showed. Back in Ansel, I'd thought of Heroes as being incredible people, brave, strong and kind. The truth was far crueller, and something I'd learned in time. Heroes were people, just like anyone else. Some were nice, others honourable, but almost to a tee, they all considered the Labour Caste – my Caste – to be lower than them.
NPC's… the Needs Protection Caste. I hated it.
I couldn't force these people to change, however. I could only trust that the Guild would treat them kindly and prove that not all Heroes were like what they expected. For now, however, I had somewhere to be.
I slipped out of the front door and away.
/-/
I found her in the library, as I'd known I would.
She sat towards the back, hidden in the shadows between a bookcase and a wall, with no flame or candle to read by. She didn't need it, of course. Her heritage provided her the night sight to read the words with ease, and the shadows were a refuge for one such as her. I took a moment to take in the sight of her, that long raven hair that flowed down her back, her smooth legs, shown off by the Beacon uniform she chose to wear.
For an Assassin, that might have seemed out of place. I'd asked her about it once, and her answer had been predictably clever. What better way to disguise oneself than to blend in with those around you? It fit her to a tee. With a small smile, I walked past various other students towards her.
Blake noticed my approach.
She didn't look up, nor did she react in any overt way, but her left ear, the feline one atop her head, twitched slightly. Her body shifted too, a subtle and innocent thing, but one which I knew would allow her to react to any sudden danger. It took a certain kind of person to sneak up on someone like Blake Belladonna. I was not that person.
I paused a few feet away, letting her take me in and relax before I dared approach. I drew out the seat opposite her and sat down. I pushed a cup of jasmine tea across the table. Her nose twitched.
"Bribery this time?" she asked.
"Think of it as a gift." I countered.
"Hm…" She didn't smile, but the corner of her lips twitched. I'd gotten used to reading her, a result of many days spent in the library with her. She was pleased… or amused. "Thank you," she said, taking the cup and sipping from it. "Jasmine. My favourite."
"I know."
She raised an eyebrow and I suddenly felt embarrassed. How did I know? Well, I'd taken the time to notice, which probably said a lot about my intentions now that I thought about it. That sent heat rushing up to my cheeks, but it wasn't like I could help it. Blake was beautiful, but more than that, she was someone I trusted implicitly. After what we'd shared, how could I not?
"Are you here to interrupt my reading again?" she asked. "I'll need to find a new place to hide."
She said the words each and every time, but had yet to follow through with her threat. I smiled and shrugged one shoulder. I never called her out on it. If Blake really wanted me gone, she'd have left herself. I didn't want to test her by egging her to do so.
My seeking her out had become something of a ritual. She often spent the afternoon and evening reading somewhere, and I'd started to learn her favourite spots. Sometimes I'd bring drink, other times food. She would roll her eyes and accuse me of interrupting her peace and quiet, but I didn't think she really meant it.
"What's that one about," I asked, nodding to the tome in her hands.
"A young man born into a family considered evil. He dreams of helping people, however, and so sneaks away to join the good side, running into a series of problems along the way." She turned a page. "It's a romantic comedy of sorts."
"Any good?"
"I've only just started. So far, it holds up."
"You sure do read a lot of romance stories."
The book came down. Blake's eyes were suspicious. "Are you suggesting something?"
"No, no." I shook my head. "Uh… should I be?"
"No." I went ignored once more. "It's simply my taste in literature. It doesn't have to mean anything. How go the repairs on your Guild?"
Was she changing the subject? I bit back a smile I knew she'd notice and not take kindly to. "They're going great. The windows have all been replaced and the roof is fixed. There's still a few rooms off limits, but they're working on the staircase now. The main living area just got finished today and it looks amazing. You should come have a look."
"Hmm… one day."
"You always say that."
"Because today is not yet that day." Blake smirked over the top of her book. A small thing, gone as soon as it came. "Besides, it sounds like you are all busy. I wouldn't want to intrude."
"You know you wouldn't be intruding, Blake. Ruby keeps asking why you won't join us already."
Blake's eyes closed as she let out a light laugh. "Ruby is friendly like that."
"She is," I agreed. "She sees you as a friend. You know that, right?"
"I know. I already told you I would consider the offer. Leave it at that."
She was as hard to understand as ever. I watched as she picked up her book and started to read again, ignoring my presence as easily as one might an insect. I didn't think she meant it in that way, however. She was normally on edge around people. To be able to relax like this around me. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I liked to imagine it was a sign of trust. I still didn't understand why she was so averse to joining our Guild, however.
Well, apart for the crippling debt part – but she never signed the initial contract with TRE, and wasn't bound into it like we were. She could leave at any time if the worst came to happen.
Silence grew between us. It wasn't an uncomfortable one, or at least for her, I assumed. Blake kept reading, occasionally turning the page or taking a sip of the tea I'd brought her. I had less to entertain me, however, and found my mind wandering.
"Torchwick wants to talk with us in person," I said, almost randomly. "I'm off to meet with him tomorrow."
There was a faint slap as Blake's book hit the table. "What?"
"Torchwick," I said. "Of the TRE?"
"I know who he is, Jaune. Why does he want to talk with you now? Didn't you say you've already paid for repairs through him?"
"We have," I nodded. "As for why… well, I don't know." There had been a message passed on by one of his people this morning before lessons started. The man had been waiting for us outside the Lodge. By the look of him, he'd been there for an hour or two. "All I know is that he wants to meet in person and discuss how the rest of the debt will be repaid. It's not like we can afford to turn him down. He practically owns us at the moment."
"Be careful," she warned.
"When am I not?"
"When you signed this contract in the first place, when you agreed to go on a Quest to Atlas, when you nearly died to a Beowolf in the First Quest, when you-" Blake stopped as I held a hand to her lips. She raised a single eyebrow, the threat clear.
I removed my hand with a wince. "Sorry. You don't have to list everything, though."
"I find it best to be direct with you."
"Because I can take it?"
"Because it's the only thing that can break through your thick skull." Blake was as gentle with my ego as ever. She sighed. "Seriously, Jaune. You need to be careful with this. All of you do. Torchwick has already shown a willingness to take advantage of you. If you think he won't do that again, then I'm not sure how you dress yourself in the morning without help."
I laughed at the joke, but soon quailed under her fierce glare. Okay, she was serious. I ducked my head and whispered an apology. It was ironic that she could make me feel so small, but with her being the strongest person I knew – or at least the strongest in our year – it perhaps made sense. "I'll be careful," I promised. "He might have tricked us the last time, but we're prepared for it now. I'm not going on my own either."
"Who is going with you?"
"Pyrrha," I said, and breathed a sigh of relief when Blake's expression relaxed.
"Good. She's strong."
"She's also the most diplomatic," I said, "which is why I wanted her to come with me. Weiss is too snappy, while Ruby and Yang would get angry and Ren isn't as strong as Pyrrha. Nora… well," I shrugged, "Nora."
"I understand. You don't want to bite the hand that holds your leash." Blake nodded. "Pyrrha will be a good choice. Don't do anything that might be construed as aggressive."
"We won't. I don't want to start a fight."
"Good. Remember that for all of what he's doing, TRE is an official Guild in Beacon. They have rights and protections."
We did too, but those also came with responsibilities, chief among them being to keep our Guild Hall in good condition. It clearly wasn't, which was the blackmail material Torchwick had over us. If Goodwitch or Ozpin saw it as it was, they'd have words to say. Once it was repaired, though… we'd be free of it. We were so close. We just needed to earn a little more lien.
"We'll be careful, Blake, but I don't think it's going to be a big deal." I tried for my most confident smile, and probably managed something resembling a giddy, idiotic teenager. She rolled her eyes at it, but I pushed on. "The thing is, he's already got us where he wants us. We're paying him for repairs and he's skimming lien off the top. Along with the rent and the fact we're trying to earn more money to pay him?" I shrugged. "I don't think he's going to do anything bad to us."
Blake hummed and picked her book back up. "I suppose he won't. It wouldn't serve him to risk harming his cash cow." She turned the page with a sigh. "Just be careful."
"I'll be careful." I nodded my head to seal the deal, then smiled. "So much concern for my wellbeing, though. Does this mean I'm growing on you?"
"Yes."
My eyes widened.
"Almost like dandruff," she continued, cutting down my glee before it ever had a chance to live. "It's annoying at first, but you learn to tolerate it. At least until you can find a way around it." She sent me a coy look from the corner of her eye. "I'd tolerate you more if you got me some more tea."
"Ah, what a slave driver." I laughed and stood up nonetheless, grabbing her mug. Before I left, I turned back. "Are you hungry? I could fetch us both something to eat."
"That would be nice," she said, turning the page with one finger. "If they have any tuna…"
"I'll look." I slipped out of the library with a nod, to one of the nearby kitchens to procure us something to eat. Along the way, I couldn't help the smile that broke out – nor the skip in my step. It was stupid and child-like, and I knew a few people looked at me like they weren't sure what they were witnessing. I felt stupid as well, but was too happy to care.
It wasn't a date, nor was it anything more. It was dinner with a pretty girl, however. Just the two of us, alone in a dark corner. Blake didn't allow anyone else to eat with her, and would always take her food away from the cafeteria, detesting the crowds.
It didn't mean anything… except that it kind of did. To me, anyway.
It was a step in the right direction. It was progress in what otherwise promised to be a boring few months. With our Annual Quest done, and light work ahead of us, it felt like the perfect time to focus on whatever it was Blake and I had going on between us. I didn't expect there would be much else exciting going on, anyway.
I had no idea how wrong I was...
You might notice that this chapter had a few recap lines in it… kind of like where Jaune thinks back on NPC's and how Heroes treat them, or on his amulet. This is part of my new goal of making the books stand on their own. You never know what chapter someone will start on. In fanfic, you know it will be chapter one, but if this was a real book, then you have no idea if they'd but book one off the shelf, or if it wouldn't be available, and they'd choose book two or three instead. Therefore, key concepts like that kind of need to be re-introduced just in case.
While it's absolutely not necessary here, I still wanted to do it, just because this is my way of practising it.
The chapter is also a tad short – but that's mostly me just writing what fits. You'll actually get some really big chapters soon, if the plan as I've written it holds true. I think it will. I spent some of the week off building it.
Next Chapter: 5th June
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
